In the picture below I show a well known problem with the Coleman Rock Springs 4 tent. The webbing attachment to the tent is over-short, and sewn around the inner tent clipping point on the inside of the flysheet. The webbing itself is over-short too, so that there is too much tension on the flysheet and several owners have reported the tent ripping around the webbing attachment point and pulling the stitching between the groundsheet and flysheet just above.
The tent is a brilliant design in many ways and ideal as an overnight small tent for 3 but it hasn't been put together the best (especially here). I don't know if they've resolved it in their 2011 version - but anyway, ours is the 2010 version and I'd like to make it last as long as possible.
I have so far released the pin for the black pole from being trapped in the webbing strap so it is now loose on the split ring alongside that for the red pole, releasing the tension by a couple of cm across the dome part. I have also reinforced the join between the flysheet and groundsheet with Tenaceous tape on the inside and where I can behind the webbing attachment (but with the inner tent clipping point in the way, its not perfect). I guess that I could shorten the red pole to address tension over the front but I daren't take too much off. But that doesn't address the overly short webbing attachment point (it is only attached to the tent by about 6mm).
What would you do?
------------- Love our set-up and need no more tents or gear, so trying to stop looking!
Have you tried pitching/pegging the front before the back ? Does it make any difference ( solved the common Outwell Montana raised doorway problem ) . If its really bothersome ,you could shorten the front poles ?
I have down loaded your pic and had a little zoom in
How about,after you have adjusted the ground sheet/tent how you want it,knock a peg in through the webbing between the tent and the eyelet and then attach the poles.That way all the stress is on the peg and not the tent.
Hi we have had several tents with eyelets in the webbing like yours and looking at your pic the webbing looks about the right legnth if the webbing was any longer i think it would allow the tent to come higher up of the floor i would try to find someone on here with the same tent who does not have this trouble and ask nicely if they would mind measuring there poles i think you will find they are a little to long we have a gelert tunnel tent with the same problem every time we came to pitch was so hard to put the poles in finaly got fed up with it and shortened all the poles by 5mm what a difference it made but as i said try to find someone to tell you how long there poles are
Once you know you have pitched the tent correctly, then shortening the poles is the best answer. I have done this on several tents with no problems. The problem of poles being too long, has come up quite often, and shortening them is easy. At worst, if you cut off too much, a new pole section is only a few pounds. Better than a torn tent.
------------- Canvas tent, paraffin light, petrol stove. Heaven
I'd rather be kayaking.
Spent up, not pent up, just had my new tent up.
Thank you for the suggestions. I don't think I can improve the webbing attachment point, so it looks as if I need to have ANOTHER GO at pitching the tent to see whether pegging it slightly different can take the strain off the flysheet (with the pegs taking the strain) and if not, bite the bullet and trim the front pole a bit.
I have been studying Simply Hikes' video of the 2011 tent as it doesn't seem to have the same tension, but I cannot see enough to work out what Coleman have done different. There is one reference by a retailer to adjustable webbing straps for the 2011 tent, but I can't see any evidence of them in the video and no other retailer mentions it (so it may or may not be correct). It could do with them...
....along with certain other features I've added - i.e. window covers, flymesh for the rear door of the inner tent, lamp hanging point in inner tent, velcro system to raise the bottom of the rear of the tent for added night-time ventilation and a condensation catcher for over the inner tent mesh roof suspended mid-way between the fly and inner. But it does have a SIG for the front porch, a rear entrance for ventilation, access and extra storage, good guying, is small enough to dry in our other tents and will take our single and double Coleman Comforts.
If I get this tension issue sorted - it'll be perfect!
------------- Love our set-up and need no more tents or gear, so trying to stop looking!
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: How would you deal with this?
. But it does have a SIG for the front porch, a rear entrance for ventilation, access and extra storage, good guying, is small enough to dry in our other tents and will take our single and double Coleman Comforts. 
